As Comet Ison continues to hurtle toward the sun it has finally become visible
to the naked eye, but where and when is it best to try and see the galactic
firework display?

Comet Ison has been exciting astronomers since it was first spotted in September last year, and as it brightens as it gets closer to the sun amateurs may finally be able to catch a glimpse of the celestial event.

As with all stargazing, it is best to get as far away from the city and any light pollution as possible if you want to see it. Clear skies and no moon also help.

Comet Ison will be visible in the predawn sky for the next few days and is best viewed with a pair of binoculars.

But you might need to be quick, as experts are still uncertain whether the comet will survive or disintegrate in the skies above us.

Dr Robert Massey, spokesperson for the Royal Astronomical Society, said: “At the moment we can see it in the predawn skies, significantly before sunrise.”

He said that it was best to use a pair of binoculars, but warned against using them after sunrise as they could damage the eyes.

A bright moon, which was full last night, could also hamper efforts, as although the comet it has brightened in recent days it is still fairly faint.

Spots such as Galloway Forest Park, which is one of only four "Dark Sky Parks" in the western world, are said to be perfect places to watch such a spectacle.

However, experts are still unclear on how long the comet might be visible for.

They are most uncertain on whether it will survive its perihelion, its closest brush with the sun, on November 28, when it is expected to pass 720,000 miles from the solar surface and heat up to 2,760C (5,000F).

Dr Massey said: “If it survives that more or less intact then it will be more spectacular, and may be visible in the evening skies.

“But the problem is at the moment that we simply don’t know what will happen, there are already some hints that it is starting to break up a bit, but everybody is being really cautious about it. Comets are naturally very unpredictable.”

Karl Battams, of Nasa’s Comet ISON Observing Campaign, said that “we are still none the wiser as to how the situation might play out”.

At the end of last week Comet Ison’s brightness increased dramatically, but the researchers have no idea why.

Mr Battams said: “Although this new development is tremendously exciting, it still doesn’t help us answer either of the questions that everyone wants to know: namely, how bright will comet ISON be, and will it survive perihelion?”

If the comet survives its scrape with the sun it is predicted it will reach its most brilliant in early December.

Robin Scagell, vice president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, is sceptical as to whether Comet Ison deserves its hype and believes other comets in recent years will be proven more spectacular.